Railroad worker pinned under rail car in Wellington

A railroad worker is lucky to be alive after an early morning incident that pinned him under a rail car.

It happened at approximately 2:20 a.m., July 9 at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail yards, West of Fair Street in Wellington.

"Upon arrival we found BNSF employee pinned under rail car with critical injuries to the lower extremities," reads a press release from the Wellington Fire and EMS Department. "Paramedics began medical care while a determination was made how to extricate the individual from under the wheels of the rail car." It is believed that the pinned individual ended up losing both legs.

"BNSF employee Blaine Zeka was instrumental in assisting with the 45 minute extrication," the fire department said. "The patient was transported to SRMC helipad for transport by Eagle Med Helicopter to St. Francis in Wichita."